Truth Takes Time
by SecretsBeneathMySoul
Summary: Part One in my Secrets Can Kill series. After her mom's death, Brianna tries to unravel her family's secrets...and her own. All she has is her mother's last words to her: 'Truth Takes Time'. Soon she'll discover that secrets really can kill. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: "Truth Takes Time" is kind of like a prequel story of before Brianna meets Sydney. It takes place after the series finale. This is part one of my new ALIAS series: "Secrets Can Kill".**

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"Truth Takes Time"

Chapter One

The young woman's heels clicked across the linoleum floor as she followed the pastor through the church. Each step cut into her like a knife, for each step brought her closer to the truth. She was here for her mother's funeral, but you wouldn't know it by seeing it. The young woman was the only one present in the church, save for the pastor. Even with her black slacks and black suit jacket over a black camisole, it looked as if a young woman was there just to see the pastor, not to attend the private funeral of her dearly departed mother.

The pastor stopped walking in front of a bookcase. The woman figured he was going to grab a bible or something, but surprised her by entering a code into a keypad hidden behind the shelves. The bookshelf moved forward, and then slid to the left, revealing a hidden passageway.

Without a sound, the two continued to walk. Despite the woman's efforts not to, her thoughts drifted off to the past few days.

_

* * *

The sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the large house. The young woman had just gotten inside from a dip in the inground pool out back. She tied a deep purple sarong around her waist even though it did nothing to cover her red bikini that flaunted her tanned athletic body. The woman ran a hand through her wet, shoulder blade-length auburn hair to shake it out of the form the water left it in._

_As the doorbell rang a second time, the woman opened the door to reveal a man in his fifties. _

"_Miss Brianna?" the asked, knowing full well who he was speaking to._

_Brianna recognized the man as an associate of her mother. She couldn't remember his name._

"_Yes?" _

_The man held out an envelope for her. "This is from your mother."_

_Brianna noticed how he refused to meet her gaze. She offered him a small, polite smile as she accepted the envelope. "Thanks. Uh, do you want to come in?" she asked politely._

_He didn't. Brianna wasn't disappointed in the slightest. She knew that the people her mother worked with were…stiff, and polite in a chilling way. _

_The man nodded his head and turned to leave. Brianna shut the door without a word and looked at the envelope. It was off-white and had 'Brianna' scrawled across it in her mother's handwriting._

_Brianna smiled, glad to be hearing from her mother after six months. She had been getting really worried. Not because it had been so long since she had seen her last, Brianna was used to her mother disappearing for long periods of times—sometimes years. But she usually wrote to her, little notes like the one she had just received. And Brianna usually received one every month or so. _

_But now everything was all right. Brianna figured that she'd just been really busy. _

_Brianna turned to a small table and opened the drawer and took out a small envelope cutter. She turned the letter over and smoothly cut open the letter, expecting to find some encouraging words and an apology about her lateness. Perhaps a silly anecdote about a new waitress at a cheap restaurant or something. And always a quote of wisdom or an ancient proverb._

_Brianna took out the letter, which was shorter than she had expected. She read it quietly._

'_My dearest Brianna—_

_I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to write. Someday, maybe you'll understand why. But for now, my daughter, take care._

_It hurts me to write this, but if you are reading this letter, than, Brianna, I am dead.'_

_Brianna's breath caught in her throat. Her breathing shallow and eyes watering, Brianna continued to read the rest of her letter._

'_How it has happened, I cannot tell you. As I'm writing this, I don't know. _

_Be careful, Brianna, and always remain on your guard. Remember all that I've taught you. _

_I love you. More than you will ever know._

_Your loving mother' _

_Brianna struggled, fighting the tears that were dangerously close to falling. Her eyes drifted towards the bottom of the paper, searching for the words that would help her survive._

'_Truth takes time'_

_Brianna sunk to her knees, no longer able to stay strong. She let the tears fall and cried out, mourning the death of her beloved mother. _

"_Mom…mom."_

* * *

Brianna still did not know how long she cried, whether it was for minutes or hours. She didn't know how she had ended up in her bed. She didn't know how her swimsuit and sarong had made it into the wash or how she had ended up in soft flannel pajamas. The shock of the letter left her deadened and her memory fuzzy.

All she knew was that her mother was dead. That was it. She didn't know how she died, or even where she was. She only had questions, no answers. And no one to answer those questions.

And she had pain. The numbing pain that left her hurting. She could no longer cry, was incapable of shedding more tears. _Mom wouldn't want me to cry_, she told her self over and over again. The mantra gave her strength, and Brianna held her head high as she followed the pastor.

Finally, the two stopped walking. Although the hall was short, the walk had seemed to take forever. They now stood in front of another door. From the look on the pastor's face, Brianna knew what was behind the door. Brianna took a deep breath and the pastor opened the door.

The door led to a mausoleum. It was small, the ceiling only about seven feet. The room was lit by candles and torches on the wall. Marble three-by-three blocks marked the graves of those buried there. Brianna knew that her mother was in one of those graves. She was one of the couple dozen names on the wall.

Brianna glanced at the pastor, who nodded his head. He closed the door, leaving Brianna alone.

Brianna took a deep breath and began to look for her mother's name. As she did so, Brianna couldn't help but remember the last time she had seen her mother. It was obvious that she was tense after getting back from her last trip just two days earlier. Brianna had tried to convince her to take a break before leaving again.

* * *

"_Mom, you just got back. Why do you have to leave again tomorrow?" Brianna asked. She was standing in the doorway to her mother's office next to the end of the stairway that led to their bedrooms._

_Her mother looked up from the documents she'd been reading. "Brianna, you know how it is."_

"_At least take a couple of weeks off. Come on, we could go to the beach or spend the weekend at a spa." Brianna could tell that her words were enticing to her mother. It'd been nearly two years since she'd taken a break from work._

"_Brianna, you know that I wish I could, but I can't."_

"_Why?" Brianna crossed her arms and pouted like she did when she was six years old. She knew that she was being childish and immature, but she didn't care. It was a rare even, having her mother home. Brianna didn't care how old she was, she loved her mother and missed her terribly._

"_Don't pout," her mother replied. "You're a grown woman, not some child."_

_Brianna tried another tactic. "You're right, Mom, I'm sorry."_

_Her mother smiled, an image of pure beauty._

"_How about I come with you?" Brianna asked, trying to sound sophisticated._

_It didn't work._

"_No," her mother replied sternly. Then she softened. "We're in France, Brianna! There's much for you to do here."_

_Brianna groaned. She hated it whenever her mother left her. Why wouldn't she take her with? She's an antiquer for Christ's sake! And who cares if they were in France? This was the fourth time she'd lived in France. The third time she'd lived in this house._

_Brianna sighed, knowing that the argument was lost, as always._

"_Can't you just take __one__ week off? One week, Mom," Brianna tried again._

_Her mother shook her head. "I'm sorry, Brianna. I've got to find this artifact I've lost. It's worth a lot of money and it's one of a kind."_

_Brianna sighed again and let her head drop. Sensing her melancholy, Brianna's mother stood from her desk and walked over to her. She put a hand on her cheek and lifted her face so that she could look at her. Whenever she did this, Brianna couldn't help but think she was looking into an older version of herself. They had the same tan skin, wavy auburn hair, brown eyes, and thick lashes. There were very few differences in the two's appearances. The mother's face was more rounded than the daughter's, and Brianna's body was freckle-free. Also, Brianna's hair was just a tinge darker than her mother's._

"_When I come back, I'll take some time off," she gave her word to her daughter._

"_Promise?" Brianna asked._

_Her mother smiled. "Promise. Now it's late, I need to get some sleep before my early flight tomorrow."_

_Brianna nodded and gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the room._

_She didn't know that would be the last time she ever saw her. _

* * *

Brianna shook off the memory. Her mother had broken her promise, and she hated her for it, for leaving her like that.

And then she found what she was looking for. Her mother's grave. Etched neatly into the thick, sleek, dark marble was her mother's name: Irina Derevko.

**

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Please, please, oh PLEASE write me a review and tell me what you think, whether good or bad! I'll update soon! Fun fact: More reviews leads to quicker updates!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Truth Takes Time"

Chapter Two

Brianna reached her right hand forward and traced her mother's name to ensure her self that it was real. It was. Her mother was really dead, and she wasn't coming back.

Brianna was alone.

She didn't know what to do. Yeah, she'd spent most of her life alone, but her mom always came back at some point. Now, no matter how long Brianna waited, there would be no more letters, no more precious days with her mother.

Brianna felt like she was suffocating; she needed to get out of the mausoleum. She turned and walked out of the door. The pastor was surprised that she was ready to leave, but didn't say a word. The walk back to the church and out went much faster than going in. As soon as she'd exited the church doors, put a hand to her mouth to quiet the escaping sob. She stood against the brick church wall, fighting back tears and trying to silence her crying. Once she'd managed to do so, Brianna regained her composure, took a long, deep breath, and straightened her hair. She got into her red mustang convertible, started the engine, and left the church to choke on her dust.

Brianna cut the engine but didn't move. She hadn't meant to drive to the beach, she just…did. The beach had always been calming to Brianna, but now it seemed sad. Brianna stared out at the ocean and slid her black heels off of her feet. When she was sure the beach was vacant, she stepped out of her car and made her way to the edge of the water. So as not to ruin her nice slacks, Brianna walked about a foot away from the small tide washing in. As she meandered across the beach, following the water's edge, Brianna's thoughts drifted away, forcing her to face the facts of her life.

She was 21 years old, born in 1982. She was unemployed and didn't finish college. She dropped out because she would always argue with the teachers. They just didn't seem to have all the facts, and Brianna did.

Although she was an American citizen, she'd spent less than a year of her life in the United States. She had moved around dozens of times, and had lived in various places in Russia, England, Paris, Spain, Greece, Germany and the UK. Her mother, Irina Derevko, was an international, world-renowned antiquer, and apparently a good one, hence all the money and constant moving. And the constant flights her mother took around the world. Irina often spent weeks, even months, away from Brianna working. Once she'd been gone for nearly a year, doing this and that. Brianna didn't really mind it, it gave her plenty of room to grow up independently, but she did miss her mom fiercely when she left. Sometimes she'd be back for only a day before jetting off to some other part of the world.

Nonetheless, Irina had given her daughter the best. The best homes, the best education, and the best training. During her upbringing, Brianna had learned martial arts, self-defense, even kick boxing when she was in high school. She spoke several languages, including Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, and German, since she'd lived in countries where it was a necessity to be fluent in the language. When she was 16, she spent a summer in Greece, but Brianna didn't learn much of the language.

Brianna had been taught other things in her life as well. She could pick a lock using bobby pins, paper clips, safety pins, and even sewing needles. She'd been brought up to compartmentalize her emotions and successfully pinpoint the signs of a liar. She could jack a car and hack into security systems. Hell, she could even defuse a bomb, as long as it wasn't too complex. And when it came to weapons, Brianna was a pro with guns, knives, and even num chucks.

When she first started high school at a private boarding school for girls in London, everyone was scared of her because she showed off her skills. When the girls refused to be her friend, or even her partner for projects, Brianna realized that normal people don't learn how to do these things.

Brianna remembered when a girl her age, Sarah, had asked her why she learned about all of that stuff. Brianna had just shrugged and said that she liked to. It made her feel strong.

Sarah called her a freak and laughed before running away. Brianna wasn't distressed when Irina said they were moving to Russia two weeks later. Since then, Brianna kept her talents a secret, and made everyone else believe she was normal.

But she didn't try to blend in. In fact, Brianna greatly enjoyed being in the spotlight. She often found her self the center of attention and completely loved it. Everyone seemed to like Brianna Derevko. She was smart, beautiful, carefree yet strong, and definitely fun-loving.

Brianna figured that her love for attention might have been a result from the lack of it from her mother. Although it was obvious Irina loved her daughter, she'd only see her a few times a year.

Brianna continued walking. She could hear the sound of children laughing with their parents as they ran onto the beach to build sandcastles. Brianna couldn't help but turn to look at the happy family playing in the sand. One toddler-aged boy, one school-aged girl, one mom, one dad. Mother and daughter were engaged in a tickle fight while son buried father underneath the sand.

Brianna smiled solemnly at the family. She couldn't help but feel jealousy at their obvious happiness. Brianna had rarely had moments like that with her own mother, especially as she grew older.

Turning from the family, Brianna continued walking. She didn't know how long she wandered along the edge of the beach, nor did she care. When she reached a pile of large rocks, Brianna climbed up and sat on the highest one. She looked out at the Loire River. As she sat, Brianna wondered what she should do next. She only came up with one conclusion. It was time to leave Nantes, France and do exactly what her mother wouldn't have wanted her to do: find truth. Brianna didn't care if truth took time, she was inpatient and restless. It was time to find out who her mother really was, and who she herself is at the same time.

**

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A/N: Okay, I'm not sure how it was for the actual ALIAS, but here's my chain of thought year-wise: Sydney was born in 1970. So it was in 1989 that she was recruited by SD-6. Seven years later (1996), the first season started. Season 1 (1 year) + season 2 (1 year) + missing two years + season 3 (1 year) + season 4 (1 year) + season 5 (1 year) another seven years. So, in my story, it is currently 2003. I really hope that this makes sense to somebody else but me! If not, let me know, please! **

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Once Brianna Derevko had put her mind to something, there was no stopping her. And the second she got it into her head to find answers to her questions, Brianna stood up and practically ran back to her car. She hopped into the convertible and sped away; leaving the happy family, as well as others who'd came to the beach that day, confused and worried for a second before resuming their activities.

There wasn't much traffic on the roads, so Brianna made it back home quickly, in less than ten minutes. The loud techno music thrumming through her speakers had only fueled her to drive faster.

When she reached the front iron gates, the security guard, Charliem, ushered her through quickly, sensing her urgency. Brianna parked her car, hopped out, and let her self into the majestic building she'd been living in for the past nine months.

Taking a deep breath, Brianna stood in front of the door to her mother's office. She'd never actually been inside of the room, and the door hadn't been opened since Irina left for her last trip six months earlier. Her nerves catching up with her, Brianna's hand shook slightly as she reached for handle. When she grasped it, she held it tightly and turned it. The door was locked.

"Damn," Brianna muttered. She reached up and pulled out the bobby pin holding a chunk of her hair back. Her hair fell to her face, and Brianna tucked it behind her ear. She bit her lip in concentration as she skillfully picked the lock. When she heard the click of the lock, Brianna felt her heartbeat quicken. She opened the door and peered inside.

Everything was how it was six months ago. Brianna grabbed an envelope containing her mother's will and a letter to her from her purse let her self into the room, shutting the door behind her. So that the maid couldn't walk in on her digging around, she locked the door. Immediately, Brianna went over to the desk and sat down on the leather desk chair. She turned on the computer and her heart started to beat faster. Irina's will had stated that everything went to her, so why did she feel like she was sneaking around? Everything was rightfully hers now, but she still couldn't but feel like she was doing something wrong.

Brianna ignored the feeling and, as the computer booted up, she pulled the papers out of the envelope. She'd read the will over a dozen or so times since her mother's lawyer had given it to her two days earlier. As for the letter? She hadn't even unfolded it, much less read it.

Finally, the computer was done loading and asked Brianna for a password. "Password? Password…" Brianna muttered. She had no idea as to what the password could be and decided to look around the desk for a clue. There were no papers lying around on the desk, so Brianna assumed everything was in one of the three desk drawers. Brianna went to open them, but they, too, were locked. Sighing impatiently, Brianna took the bobby pin that she'd set down on the desk and jimmied the lock to the first drawer. Inside of it were pens, pencils, blank papers, extra manila file folders, a box of matches, and an envelope opener. Disappointed, Brianna moved onto the other two drawers. The second one held files of ancient artifacts from various places around the world. Brianna skimmed over these files, not overly interested. There were files on a clock, a music box, and a piece of stained glass. Brianna was sure that these things were important and utterly fascinating for some people and were probably major parts of history, but she couldn't bring her self to be excited.

She was excited, however, by what awaited her in the third drawer. A thick, black briefcase. Brianna smiled victoriously as she pulled it out. The smile quickly fell when Brianna saw that the briefcase could only be opened by a secret code of numbers punched into the small keypad. _Damn. Just when I get to something interesting._

Brianna sunk back into the chair, defeated. If only she could just get into that briefcase.

With nothing else to do, Brianna picked up her mother's letter. She was interrupted however, when she heard someone behind the door. Brianna froze. Whoever it was had a key to the office and was opening the door.

Brianna looked around for some sort of weapon. The only person who had a key to this room was dead, so, whoever it was, must have stolen it. Brianna grabbed the envelope opener. Then she noticed something that she didn't see before. The top desk drawer was bigger than the space inside. Glancing once more at the door, Brianna used the slim knife to pry a thin piece of wood from under the blank paper. Brianna was right, there was more to the drawer. Hidden away was a loaded 9-mm Beretta with two extra rounds. Frantically, Brianna's hand closed around the handgun just as the door opened.

**

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you think, I'm just **_**dying**_** to hear your opninions!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Truth Takes Time"

Chapter Three

Brianna was somewhat surprised when she recognized the intruder as the man who'd given her the letter from her mother a few days earlier. He stepped into the room and stared, shocked at Brianna's presence.

"Miss Derevko? What are you doing in here?" he asked, his voice calm and recovered from the shock.

"I could ask you the same thing," Brianna replied curtly, her hold on the gun tightening.

His eyes followed Brianna's arm to the desk, and Brianna sucked in a mouthful of air. There was no way he could see what she was holding, but Brianna was nervous just the same.

Brianna was sure he would scold her when the man opened his mouth to speak, but instead he laughed. His laugh seemed cold and strained, like he was forcing himself to be genteel. "You don't need that. Trust me."

Brianna pressed her lips together but didn't move. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Didn't you read her letter?" the man asked, obviously annoyed at her.

Brianna's eyes widened in surprise; she knew what letter he was talking about. She glanced down at the still creased letter that had come with her mother's will. She looked back up at the man. He didn't look happy.

"No, you haven't," he answered himself, aggravated. "Why?"

"That isn't any of your business," Brianna said, flushed that this stranger had dared to scold her about reading letters.

"Actually, it is. If you'd read that letter, you would know that."

Brianna's cheeks burned. She felt like a disappointing child being reprimanded. Looking down from the man, Brianna picked up the letter and unfolded it. She didn't read it word for word, just skimmed it for the basic idea, hoping to get this over quickly. Her mother's words angered her, and, as she read, Brianna wanted to yell. In the letter, Irina Derevko forbade her daughter from ever entering her office. She told her that an associate of hers would be coming to collect her things, and Brianna was to stay out of his way and not bother him.

If Brianna had felt like a child before, she was a toddler now.

Brianna could feel the man's smirk, even though she couldn't see it. She felt foolish, and her cheeks burned in embarrassment.

And then she was angry. No, not angry, Brianna Derevko was furious. Her mother was dead, and yet, she still issued demands. Yes, Brianna loved her mother, but she wasn't a child, she was a grown woman. And Irina didn't have the right to order her out of her office, not after leaving everything to her in her will.

"Now, if you don't mind, I have things that I need to do," the man said, walking closer to Brianna.

Brianna looked back up at the man, and his smirk faded. She guessed that her anger was apparent on her face. She glared at him furiously and he froze. Impulsively, Brianna tore the letter in half, and then tore it into fourths. She then tossed the pieces up in the air like confetti.

Shocked, the man demanded, "What do you think you're doing!"

"Leave. Now," Brianna demanded. The man stood his ground.

"Who do you think you are?" he glared menacingly.

"I am Brianna Derevko. As the _sole heir_ to Irina Derevko, I have inherited this household and property. And **you** are trespassing."

The man shook with anger. "Do you even know who you are talking to?" his voice raised slightly.

"No," Brianna replied honestly. "And I don't care, either." When the man didn't say anything, Brianna added, "I suggest you leave before I call the police."

The man didn't move. Brianna crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. She thought she had intimidated the man enough to leave, but, to her surprise, he just laughed.

"I admire your spirit; you've got fire in you, like your mother," he said. Brianna enjoyed the compliment, but narrowed her eyes.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," the man continued, "I've got work to do."

Brianna didn't move. "Were you not just listening to me?" She was confused, and it showed. "You can't be here, I own everything in this house."

"Not according to your mother's letter. Or did you not just read that?"

Brianna picked up the pieces of the letters and held them in her hand. She pulled out the match box from the top drawer and lit a match.

"What are you doing?" the man demanded, his eyes worried.

Brianna, ignoring his question, put the pieces of her mother's letter into the flame, and they caught fire. "What letter?" she asked innocently. The paper burned and she blew out the match, as well as the fire on the paper before it could burn her fingers.

The man shook in anger once more. "Get. Out."

"No." Brianna remained calm, although her mind was racing. What should she do? Then Brianna remembered her mother telling her once about a security button hidden in the room. If only she could find it…

The man reached for the briefcase, but Brianna snatched it up. "What's the code?" she demanded.

"I'm not telling you," the man sneered.

Brianna shrugged and sat down, holding the briefcase in her lap. She scooted the desk chair closer to the desk, so that the man wouldn't notice her feeling around for the security button with her left hand.

"What's in this?" she asked. "And why is it so damn important?" Brianna was stalling, as her hand felt under the desk for a button.

"It's nothing. Information about artifacts. Locations, buyers, sellers, places and people of interest," the man replied slowly. Brianna didn't believe him. If it was something as boring as antiques, why was it so secret?

Brianna looked down at the briefcase. Why was she so curious? Why did it peak her interest so much?

All Brianna had were questions. She didn't have any answers. And Brianna was such a curious girl. Her mother had always warned her about her curiosity. Everytime she asked too many questions, her mother would say "Remember what happened to Pandora". But Brianna couldn't blame Pandora; Brianna knew that she wouldn't be able to resist a peak into a mysterious box given to her by the Greek Gods either.

Brianna gasped slightly as she finally found what she was looking for. The button her mother had told her about. She pressed it several times, and even held it the last time, just in case Charlie wasn't aware of her need of him the first few times.

"Why don't you just give me the briefcase?" the man asked.

Brianna hesitated, taking her time. "Why don't you tell me who you are?"

The man sighed in irritation. "My name is Edmund Rodgers. I worked with your mother, and have for the past twenty years."

Brianna considered this piece of information. Finally, she had a name. Yeah, it was just some suited guy Mom worked with, but it was something.

"I need that briefcase," Edmund said. "Without those files, I won't be able to find those valuable antiques, and another company will. I could lose millions of dollars by not getting those artifacts."

Brianna sighed. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ She thought. _I mean, it's just a briefcase for Christ's sake! Mom was an antiquer! So why is this briefcase so damn important to me?!_

Edmund looked at Brianna, and it seemed a realization hit him. "I understand," he said, taking pity on the young woman. "You miss your mother. She was always away on business, so you didn't get to know her much. Now you're searching for something, anything that would tell you about her. But this isn't it. This briefcase is just her work."

Ashamed, Brianna refused to look at Edmund. "Her life _was_ her work," she said.

"Miss Derevko—"

"Brianna."

"Brianna," the man started. "Your mother loved her job. And she was good at it, too. Now, that's probably unfair to you, you grew up mostly under governesses. But Irina loved you, too."

Brianna looked up at Edmund. The words brought tears to her eyes, and she saw how she was overreacting. "I'm such an idiot," she said.

"No, you're not. You're just in shock," Edmund consoled her.

"I guess that I was so mad at her for not being there, I started thinking that there was another reason why she was always gone. Like she had some big secret life or something." Brianna scoffed at her behavior. "But she was just an antiquer."

Brianna took a deep breath and held out the briefcase. "I'm sorry. I guess this belongs to you, then."

Edmund took the briefcase. "Thanks." He paused, then said, "You should probably call off the security guard."

Brianna looked at Edmund incredulously. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I should."

Just then, Charles bounded into the room, gun out and loaded. "What's the problem, Miss Derevko?" he asked, eyeing Edmund suspiciously.

"Oh, sorry, Charles. It was just a misunderstanding."

Somewhat embarrassed, Charles lowered his gun. "Oh. Well, uh, if this guy gives you any trouble, you call, alright Miss Derevko?"

Brianna nodded her head. "Yeah, sure."

Charles left the room, and Brianna turned back to Edmund, still embarrassed about her actions. Edmund nodded to her, and she stood and left the room, making sure to close the door behind her. She immediately went into the kitchen and got herself a tall glass of cold water. She closed her eyes and downed the whole thing without taking a breath. When it was empty, she put into the sink and turned on the faucet to splash water on her face. She then turned off the water and leaned her hands on the counter.

"I am such an idiot!" she said aloud to herself, cradling her head in her hands. Brianna felt horrible for how she acted. She couldn't believe that she actually believe Irina Derevko was hiding some big, awful secret from her. _I must be losing my mind!_

She then looked up as an idea occurred to her. "I've got to get out of her," she told herself. "A vacation would do me some good."

* * *

As soon as Brianna left the room, Edmund sat in the desk chair. He saw that the computer was on, but Brianna hadn't known the password. He sighed in relief. _Good. He'll be pleased._

Edmund pulled the keyboard to him and typed in Irina's secret password—SydNadBri47, the first three letters of each of her daughters and Milo Rambaldi's prophetic number. As the computer loaded, Edmund looked over at the opened drawers and frowned. Brianna had obviously gone throw them, and Edmund figured the bobby pin on Irina's desk was how she'd opened them. But Brianna mustn't have really gone through them, or else she would have asked more questions about the artifacts filed in the second drawer. He assumed correctly that it was nothing to worry about.

Edmund lifted a secret compartment from the second drawer that Brianna didn't notice. Inside was a remote. He took out the remote and pressed a red button. In front of him, a book case moved, revealing a series of small screens under a larger one, each showing a different room. Edmund's eyes glanced over them until he saw Brianna standing in the kitchen, looking very distressed. He pressed a few more buttons, and the kitchen appeared on the big screen and the volume turned up. Brianna was muttering about how much of an idiot she was. Then she got the idea to go on a vacation to clear her head.

Satisfied, Edmund turned off the screens and recovered them. He then took a small disk in a clear, plastic case out from his pocket. He frowned, seeing it was cracked.

Sighing impatiently, Edmund flipped off the computer and moved the chair back. He went on his knees so that he was level with the computer tower. He took a pocket knife set from another pocket and, using a mini screwdriver, opened up the tower. After locating the hard drive, he pulled it out and stuck it in his front pocket. He then grabbed the briefcase and left the room.

Brianna was halfway up the stairs, so he said, "Somebody else will be by in the next couple of days to get the computer."

Brianna nodded to him and continued up the stairs. Edmund left Irina's house and went to his car. As soon as he was passed the security guard, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.

It picked up on the second ring. "I've got the briefcase and the hard drive," he said.

"No complications," Edmund replied to what the voice was saying.

The other line said something else, and he replied, "I told her I'm an associate of her mother's and that my name is Edmund Rodgers.

He paused a beat as the other line spoke. "No, the girl won't be any trouble. She doesn't know a thing."

**

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A/N: Please review! I'll write more as soon as I can! Stay tuned next time for more secrets and another dramatic chapter in the life of Brianna Derevko! **


	4. Chapter 4

"Truth Takes Time"

Chapter Four

"Everyone, please return to your seats and put on your seatbelts. We will be landing shortly," a female's cheery voice echoed over the loudspeaker. Brianna's buckle clicked as she put the two pieces together. A cart went quickly down the aisle, taking any garbage or refreshments the passengers had and gently waking any that were sleeping. Brianna handed her empty martini glass to a smiling stewardess and sunk back into the comfortable first class seat. She took a deep breath and exhaled as she felt the plane begin to dip down to land.

When the wheels touched ground and the plane had stopped moving, Brianna unclicked her seatbelt. She stood and, lifting her arms above her head, she began to stretch slightly. Then she pulled out the ponytail holder holding her twist bun and shook her hair loose.

Brianna followed the short line of the other first class flyers off of the plane. She immediately went over to her bag checkout and waited for her suitcases and duffel bag to appear. The long line suggested a hold up. Brianna sighed and took a detour to the ladies room to check her makeup for something to do. She didn't put much makeup on before she'd left at 10:00 last night to catch her last-minute flight. At least there was no line there, the bathroom was practically empty. Brianna figured they were all in line to get their bags.

Brianna stood in front of the mirror and pulled some black eyeliner out of her bag. She slid a thin strip across her top and bottom lids. Next was the black mascara. She didn't put a lot on, just enough, and she didn't bother to use a lash curler, either. She took some skin colored powder and blended it into her skin, even though she didn't really need it. Brianna had always had a flawless complexion, she made sure of it. For her lips, Brianna used a soft pink lipstick. Soft, gray eyeshadow was the last thing she needed, to give her brown eyes a smoky look. Brianna smiled at her reflection. Pretty good, especially for only five minutes.

Lost for something else to do, Brianna began messing with her hair. She cupped her hands full of water to wet her hair. She then bent over and began to tease and scrunch it until it had dried a few minutes later. "Perfect," Brianna whispered. Her now wavy and curly hair definitely looked salon-quality.

Brianna held her head high as she left the bathroom. She looked amazing, and she knew it. She wore a lavender pixie-cut skirt that flounced as she walked and a white button shirt that was so thin, it showed the outline of her white bra. To allow the warm wind to blow against her skin, Brianna had left the bottom half of the shirt unbuttoned. Her white flip flop-like heels clicked across the linoleum floor of the airport as she walked.

There was still a long line to retrieve luggage, but it was shorter. Brianna sighed, and took her place in line. She fought the urge to tap her foot and sighed again.

Nearly an hour later, Brianna had finally retrieved her luggage. As soon as she made sure she had all of her belongings, she left the airport to find a taxi. Fortunately, there was an elderly couple just getting out of a taxi. Brianna waited for them to get out, and practically ran for the taxi before anyone could steal it. The taxi driver, a man in his mid-forties, looked at her and hopped out of the yellow vehicle.

"Let me get that for you," he said, taking Brianna's things to put them into the trunk. He even held the car door open for her before getting back in. "Where to?"

"The Palm Springs Hotel," Brianna directed the taxi driver.

The drive was only about an hour long, but Brianna was anxious to reach her destination so that she could finally begin her vacation. The taxi driver, who's name was Martin, attempted to flirt with Brianna as he drove. At first, Brianna flirted back, but then she grew annoyed by Martin. She was relieved when the hotel came into view.

"Keep the change," Brianna instructed when she paid Martin. A doorman saw her coming and called a bellboy to carry her belongings as she entered the hotel.

As soon as she was inside, Brianna went straight to the front desk to check in. Unfortunately, there was another line, although it was much shorter than at the airport. Still, Brianna sighed in frustration as she waited for her turn to check into the five-star hotel.

"I take it you don't like lines, either," a male's voice said behind Brianna.

Brianna turned behind her and was pleased. The man who had gotten her attention was cute. He was a few years older than her, had blonde hair, light blue eyes, and was well-built. Not to mention his attractive accent, which Brianna assumed was Brittish.

"Patience is a virtue that I seem to be lacking," Brianna admitted, smiling at the man.

He laughed, "I know what you mean."

The man glanced over at the bellboy and smirked. "I see you've got your own personal service. You must come here often."

Brianna laughed. "No, actually, this is my first time at Palm Springs. The last time I was here was years ago with my mother, and we stayed at a different hotel then."

The man nodded his head.

"What about you? Not one for dropping cheesy pickup lines, but do you come here often?" Brianna asked, a playful smile spreading across her lips.

He laughed again, a sound Brianna decided she liked to hear. "I've been here once or twice. Nice place, nice pool."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Nice beds, too."

Brianna knew that the mysterious accented guy was hitting on her and she smiled coyly at him before turning around, for it was her turn in line.

"Can I help you?" the woman working at the front desk asked, smiling. She was in her mid-twenties and seemed to really enjoy her job.

"Yeah, I have a reservation: Brianna Derevko?"

The woman, who wore a nametag that read 'Kate' nodded and looked through a list of names on her computer. "Ah, yes, Miss Derevko? I have you right here. But you haven't said how long you'll be staying with us."

"Yeah, is that alright? I'm not exactly sure how long I want to stay, maybe a few weeks." Brianna hadn't even thought about how long her vacation should last, and decided that a few weeks should be good for her.

Kate nodded and typed something in. "Alright then, Miss Derevko. You're in room 407, just let me know if you need anything. Enjoy your stay."

Brianna took the key card Kate handed her and smiled politely. "Thank you."

As Brianna turned to leave, the man behind her said, "See you around?"

Brianna faced him and smiled flirtatiously, "Maybe."

The bellboy followed Brianna into the elevator. He pressed the button to the fourth floor, and the two rode silently to her floor. When the elevator doors opened, the two stepped out and went to the seventh room. Using her key card, Brianna opened the door to her suite and the bellboy brought her things into the room, placing them on her bed. Brianna thanked him and tipped him ten bucks before he left.

Brianna looked around her room. It was huge, and definitely worth the price she was paying. There was a giant, king-sized bed with expensive silk sheets, giant wall-length windows with pull-across blinds, a sauna-like bathtub, and even a walk-in closet and vanity. So Brianna decided to unpack her clothes and such and put them away. She hung up everything in the closet, and put her makeup and hair accessories into the vanity drawers, and her toothbrush and other bathroom necessities into the bathroom drawers.

Once everything was put away and her bags were stashed under the bed, Brianna's stomach grumbled and she decided to get something to eat at the hotel restaurant.

At the Palm Springs Restaurant, Brianna was given one of the best seats on an outside balcony because she was a guest. And not just any guest, one without a set date to leave. Brianna assumed that as long as she wasn't sure how long her vacation would be, she would be treated like royalty, which was perfectly fine by her.

After a few minutes looking through the menu, Brianna decided on a shrimp cocktail and a 'Summer in Nantucket' martini.

Brianna gazed off the balcony at the beautiful scenery below as she awaited her lunch. It came quickly, not to Brianna's surprise. She decided that she would have to pay a nice tip to the young, redheaded waitress named Annabelle.

_Or maybe not_, Brianna thought as Annabelle placed another drink in front of her.

"I didn't order this," she said.

"Oh, sorry. It's from the gentleman at the bar," Annabelle replied, somewhat flustered. Brianna glanced behind, hoping that it was someone decent. When she saw who it was, a slow smile spread across her lips. She heard the waitress sigh in relief.

Brianna held up the drink from the gentleman she met in line in a toast. He held up his own in return, and they each took a sip. Brianna decided that she liked the drink and her smile widened. She tilted her head towards the empty chair across from her, letting the man know he passed the test. He stood and, bringing his own drink, came to join her.

"Hello, Stranger," Brianna smiled.

"Hello to yourself."

"Thanks for the drink. What is it?"

"It's something new, called a 'Teemootee'."

Brianna took another sip. "Sounds like someone was wasted when they made up that name."

"Well, that is usually the point of drinking alcohol."

The two laughed and Brianna decided immediately that she liked this mystery man and turned on her charm.

"So what brings you to a place like Palm Springs?"

"I'm just taking a vacation from work," the man replied.

Brianna asked curiously, "Your wife or girlfriend joining you?"

"No, I don't have a wife or a girlfriend."

Now for the real test. "Boyfriend?"

The man laughed. "No, I don't swing that way. Sorry, I should've said that I'm currently not with nor seeing anyone."

Brianna's smile brightened, "Good."

The man smiled brightly as well, and Brianna knew instinctively that things were going good. Really good.

"How long are you staying in Palm Springs?" she asked next, desperately hoping it's for more than just a few days.

"Well, I had originally planned on a week, maybe two. But now I think I'll stay a little longer."

On the inside, Brianna was doing backflips. On the outside, she appeared, calm, cool, and even provocative. An alluring smile playing on her lips, she held out a manicured hand. "Brianna Derevko."

He returned her smile with a beguiling one of his own and took her hand. "Julian Sark."

**

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A/N: So, Palm Springs Hotel? Made it up, it doesn't exist (as far as I know). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If not, I'm sorry. Either way, please write a review so I know how you liked it…or didn't like it. And thanks to soccergirlmich for all your support, you're awesome! **


	5. My Deepest Apologies

**A/N: PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!!! **

**I am so, so, SOOO very sorry that it's been so long! But I do have a reason for my lack of updates!! First I had a week to study for seven finals (Yay for procrastination!), and then I had a week of finals. **

**And then something so terribly disastrous happened, I still can't get over the shock. **

**I caught the most horrible, devastating disease ever known to mankind. Just **_**thinking**_** about it—much less writing about it—makes me feel woozy. **

**It was so ghastly and atrocious; I thought that I was going to die. It's a common disease, and there isn't much of a cure. Or at least, no cure a doctor could prescribe. I wasn't contagious, so I still had to go to school (I know, that's enough to make **_**anybody**_** sick!). My case was an especially severe one, and, after nearly three months, I believe that I'm finally getting passed it. I've entered remission. (Have you ever seen a word so beautiful? "Remission")**

**Can you guess the name of the dreadful, horrendous, gruesome disease?**

**No? All right, I'll tell you. But I'll only say—er, write—it once. Who knows how quickly I could relapse. I had the most severe, absolutely worst case, and I wouldn't want to go throw **_**that**_** ever again. I had….**

**Writer's Block.**


	6. Chapter 5

"Truth Takes Time"

Chapter Five

Lunch ended two hours later when Julian had to take a call for work. As Brianna pulled out her wallet, Julian demanded to put it on his tab. Brianna made a joke about how he's secretly one of the gold-diggers who only pretend to be rich, with all his hotel tabs and buying drinks. The two laughed and Julian played the next piece well.

"We should do this again sometime," he said, holding a hand over his cell phone.

Brianna smiled coyly. "I don't know… vacations are very time consuming with the tanning and the swimming—not to mention the massages, manicures, facials, and pedicures. But, I'll see if I can pencil you in."

"Wonderful. Then I'll uh have my people call your people," Julian played along.

Brianna laughed playfully and the two parted ways.

Things went like this over the next three days. Wednesday, Julian and Brianna shared drinks at the pool bar over two glorious hours. Thursday consisted of Julian calling the front desk to be connected to the phone in Brianna's room. He called her at 9:00—perfect timing, as Brianna had just gotten out of the shower—and the two met for breakfast at a café down the road. Friday, dinner at a nearby restaurant. Nothing extremely fancy, it was all pretty casual.

Over this time, Brianna and Julian talked of everything and nothing. They talked about all the places they'd been to and lived—Julian, too, moved around a lot, especially as a kid—past jobs they've had, and even a little about past girlfriends/boyfriends. While Brianna was still deciding what she wanted to do with her life, Julian had a successful career in freelance trade.

There was one topic, however, that both paid special attention to avoiding. Their families. Brianna hadn't said a word about her mother to Julian, and, since he didn't ask, she didn't. But that didn't matter to Brianna, and obviously not to Julian, either. They were happy without getting into all the icky details and flirted crazily over their martinis and cocktails.

And then Saturday came.

The day started off unbelievably warm, and Brianna knew instinctively how hot everything was going to be. She was in an especially flirtatious mood that morning and, with the music turned up as loud as she dared, Brianna danced around as she prepared for the day. She showered quickly and ate some room service fruit salad for breakfast. She scrunched her hair to give it a messy yet sexy look and wore waterproof mascara. Brianna slipped out of her robe and into a vivacious purple bikini. She slid her feet into a pair of black, heeled flip flops and tied a red mesh sarong around her waist as she left the room and headed out for the large, inground hotel pool.

Brianna picked a recliner with a table and slipped out her shoes. She untied her sarong and let it fall to the ground. Letting the sun soak into her skin, Brianna ran her hands through her hair then stretched her arms, arching her back slightly. She could feel a dozen different pairs of eyes watching her, but she only cared for one.

Brianna saw Julian sitting at the pool bar out of the corner of her eye. He saw the bartender staring and turned to see what had captured his attention. Her.

Smiling softly to her self, Brianna flounced over towards the tall diving board of the pool. There was no one else using it, so she climbed up the ladder. Once she reached the top, Brianna, holding her self high, walked the end of the board. She flipped her hair out of her eyes and dove. Her body cut into the pool like a hot knife through soft butter. There was barely even a splash.

While underwater, Brianna swam to the other side as far as she could before it became too shallow. She came up slowly and her hips swung side to side as she made her way up the extended pool steps. Brianna kept walking until she reached her belongings. She ran a hand through her hair and picked up the towel on the recliner and dabbed her face. Replacing the towel back onto the recliner, Brianna stepped back into her shoes as she tied the sarong around her hips. She saw Julian watching her from the corner of her eye and turned to face him. She smiled and he held up his drink, gesturing to the seat next to him.

Holding his gaze, Brianna joined Julian at the bar. He ordered her some sort of cocktail as she sat down. "That was quite a dive you took there," he said in his heavy accent.

Brianna smiled and acted modest, as if she hadn't done it to show off. "Just another one of my many wonders," she said mysteriously.

"Oh, really?" Julian asked, intrigued.

"I was on the swim team for a little while in high school," Brianna explained simply.

"Is there anything you _can't_ do?" Julian asked, taking a sip of his cocktail.

"Not yet," Brianna replied playfully. She sipped her cocktail and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"_We_ are going for a swim," Brianna decided.

"Oh really?" Julian mused.

"Yes. Really." Brianna reached for Julian's hand and pulled him to his feet. "Unless, of course, you don't think you can handle it." Brianna didn't signify as to what it was, but her teasing smile was enough to convince Julian to agree.

"Oh, I'm sure I can handle it just fine. The question is, can you?"

Brianna didn't have a chance to reply, because Julian proceeded to pick her up, cradling her in his strong arms.

"Julian, what on _earth _are y----agghhh!" Julian cut her off by tossing her into the deep end of the pool. Brianna sunk 16 feet until she hit the bottom. She immediately pushed herself off the bottom and broke through the surface. She spit water out of her mouth and glared at Julian, who was smirking at her.

Brianna swam over to the side so she was at Julian's feet. He crouched down so that he was only inches above her. "That wasn't fair," she scolded, a joking smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, really?" Julian asked. He pulled a strand of wet hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I'm terribly sorry."

"That's alright. I'll get my revenge."

"Really?" Julian laughed. "And how are you going to do that?"

"Like this!" And with that, Brianna grabbed Julian's shoulders and pulled him into the water.

And then the war began.

Julian dunked Brianna, she dunked back. He splashed her, she splashed back. This continued until Brianna saw a few kids with super-soaker water guns. She jumped out of the pool and asked if she could borrow one. Julian immediately followed suit. The two quickly refilled the guns, trying their best to avoid each other.

Brianna fired first, soaking Julian's face. He shot back quickly, making Brianna turn and run. She hid behind some trees, signaling those around her to keep quiet.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Julian called. His voice was close, so Brianna didn't move. "You can't hide forever you know."

Brianna dared to take a peak. Julian was just a few yards away, but his back was turned. As quietly as she could, Brianna snuck over so that she was only a couple feet behind him.

"You're right, I can't hide forever."

Julian spun around to face Brianna and was immediately soaked. However, Brianna's weapon was soon empty and Julian was firing back. As quickly as she could, Brianna back towards the pool and jumped in the deep end. Julian dove in after her. They had both dropped let go of their water guns as they hit the water. As soon as the two were above water, the splash fight continued.

Suddenly, a kid jumped off the diving board and landed a cannonball in the water. Seizing the opportunity, Brianna sucked in air and went under water. With Julian momentarily distracted, she swam behind him and reached the surface.

"Gotchya!" She jumped up and dunk him way below the surface. Julian turned around and came back up. He then, in turn, dunked Brianna. But before Julian could leave her under the water, Brianna wrapped her arms and legs around him.

"That's not fair," Julian pouted.

"What?" Brianna asked.

"You've got the advantage."

Brianna smiled. "Oh really? And how is that?"

Julian laughed. "I can't resist a beautiful woman in a bikini whose wrapped herself around me."

Brianna laughed in return, throwing her head back slightly. She then titled her head to the side so that her hair had flipped over the left. She could feel their breath mingle as she closed her eyes and leaned forward. Sparks ignited as their lips touched and Brianna moved herself closer to Julian, her arms bringing them closer together.

When they finally parted, their breath was shallow. They watched nothing but each other, their eyes seeing nothing but the other's.

"Go out with me tonight," Julian commanded softly. "I know this place, a private all-hours club. Music, dancing, drinking. VIP only."

Brianna was hooked before the words we even out. "Of course."

Julian closed his eyes and leaned in, eager for their lips to touch once more. Brianna, too, wished for it and desired Julian's touch. But, instead of playing along, she let go of Julian and dove back under the water, swimming to the other side. Leaving Julian longing for her, Brianna stepped up the pool stairs. She went to her stuff, dried her face off with a towel that had replaced the other one and turned back to face Julian.

He remained in his place, watching Brianna. She smiled at him, slipped into her shoes, tied her sarong around her waist, and turned to return to her room. She had an appointment for a body massage at 12:30 and didn't want to be late.

A/N: I'd just like to apologize, once more, about my lateness. I'm really, really, REALLY sorry that it took so long. Writer's Block sucks, majorly. Once again I'm EXTREMELY sorry!!!! Just please, oh please, oh please, don't be mad at me! Please? I'll have more up as soon as I can, I PROMISE!!!! Thanks for reading and putting up with me!!


	7. Another Sincere Apology

**Another sincere apology...**

**My dearest readers, I truly regret to inform you that the Alias FF entitled "Truth Takes Time" from the "Secrets Can Kill" series is on a temporarily extened hiatus. Please check my profile for continuous updates on the situation.**

**I really am sorry! I have greatly enjoyed writing this FF and I love my dear readers and reviewers, but creating your own world-wide terrorist organization has proven to be a bit more difficult than I had originally thought. Everything else for the series, however, is perfectly planned out.**

**If anyone has any suggestions or basically anything that could help me with this FF, I would greatly appreciate it, and, naturally, bestow the proper credit.**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing my story, I am so sorry for the hiatus.**

**Your loyal FF writer,**

**SecretsBeneathMySoul**

**Or Krystle.**

**Whichever you prefer.**


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